Clutch.



W. J; UOGHRAN. CLUTGH.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.16, 1905.

PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

No. 829,140. PATENTED AUG. 2l, 1906.

W. J. COCHRAN.

CLUTCH. APPLIUATION FILED sBPT. 1a, 1905.

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WALTER J. COCHRAN, OF SOUTHBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2 1 1906.

Application filed Septembr16,1905. Serial No. 278,703.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, WALTER J. COCHRAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Southboro, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to clutches, and has for its object the provision of a powerful, re liable, durable, and easilyoperable clutch which is especially adapted to stiuations which reqhuire an interrupted or intermittent transmission of power, such as presented, for instance, by motor-cars.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating one embodiment of my invention and improvements, Figure 1 is an elevation of the clutch and its operating mechanism,

l 1 of Fig. 2. ig. 2 is a side elevation of the clutch and its operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of' the clutch on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section of a detail following line 4 4 of Fig. l, the scale being enlarged; and Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the clutch-operating levers, also on a scale larger than that employed in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive.

The clutch itself comprises two relatively movable clutch members preferably in the form of the clutch-rings D and R, whereof D is secured to a disk or wheel D, the same being keyed to the inner shaft S. The clutchrings D and R are shown as provided with opposing conical surfaces interengagement oi W ch is secured by the relative longitudinal movement of the two clutch-rings.

S is a sleeve loosely mounted upon the inner shaft S, so as to permit the latter to turn independently of sleeve S', except when the clutch is set. Upon sleeve S there is formed integral with or otherwise secured to said sleeve a frame S2, said frame in the illustration shown consisting of a four-armed spider, whereof the arms S2 are stiiiened by webs S3 and provided with posts S4 for the reception of the pivotins s. The spider-frame S2 is rovided wit a sliding connection with the clutch-ring R, this sliding connection consisting of the pins P, each of which is secured at the end of one of the spider-arms and each of which passes through a hole in a lug R", which is integral with or otherwise secured to the clutch-rin R. S rings P', which surround said pins are aced between the spiderarms S2 and the ugs R2. frame S2 must partake of any rotary movepartly in section, on the line I* `The block is slotted at Rs R2.

Thus the spider ment of the clutch-ring R, and the clutchring R is caused to slide upon the pins P in one direction under the influence of the s rings P and in the other direction under t e inuence of the controlling mechanism.

Levers L are pivoted upon the pins s. These levers bear at their outer ends upon the shoes R3, which are mounted upon baseblocks R2, attached to the ring R. The inner ends of these levers bear tangentially upon the sliding cone C, which acts as a wedge in the manner presently to be described. The levers each terminate at their inner ends ina reduced portion or pivot Z, whereon are mounted antiriction rollers or balls L', and at their outer ends with similar pivots l2,where on are mounted thc antifriction-rollers L2. (See particularly Fig. 5,) An additional bearing or support is provided for the levers L, which consists of the ring K, made integral with or otherwise secured to the spiderarms S2.

The cone C is mounted to slide upon the shaft or sleeve S and is operated by means of a ring or yoke Y, which is placed in groove C2 and is actuated by an operating-lever II through the links and levers ll, H3, and H2. The lever H3 is pivoted at H5, and the lever I-l is pivoted at H. These pivotal connections niay be secured to or mounted on any fixed. object or part of the machine-frame.

In Fig. 4 the construction of the clutcho ierating inclines is shown in detail. Upon the clutclrring R there is a base-block R2, the upper surface of which is preferably inclined and is serrated or corrugated, as at r.

The bearingshoe or incline proper, R3, has a lower surface inclined to correspond with the upper surface of the base-block R2 and is also serrated or corrugated, as at r, to correspond with the upper surface of said base-block. The shoe Ra is bored to receive the screws R R2,which ass through the slots R2 and are threaded into holes in the clutch-ring R. The shoe It is provided with an inclined bearing-surface R* for the ends of the levers L and with a level surface or terminal dwell R5. B shifting the base-blook R2 to the right or erft, as shown in Fig. 4, under the shoe and resetting the screws R2 a nice adjustment can be scoured to insure thc proper setting of the clutch. In like manner wear also may be taken up when occasion requires.

The operation of the clutch is as follows: Upon shifting the cone C inwardly or to the IOO IIO

.suitable pins the other end upon left, as shown in Fig. 3, by swinging the leverhandle Il the rolls L of the levers li are caused to ride up on the surface of the cone C, which acts as a wedge. The levers are thus turned upon their pivot-pins s, andthe outer ends of the levers-nainely, the rollers L, as shown in the drawingsare caused to ride up on the inclined surfaces R of the shoes R3, overcoming the resistance of springs P and forcing the clutch-ring R into frictional engagement with the clutch-ring D and bindlng the conical surfaces R and DYZ firmly together. The bearing-ring K upon the spider-arms S2 offsets any tendency of the levers L to be sprung er bent during the operation of the clutch-setting. The clutch, however, will be found to work adn'lirably without the bearing-ring K if the levers and their pivotal connections with the spiderarms are sufficiently strong and rigid. When the clutch is fully set, the rolls L at the inner ends of the levers slip into the groove C of the cone C, causing the clutch members to be held in engagement until the cone is again pulled back by the operating-lever H. The rolls L2 at the same time will rest upon the level surfaces or dwells R5 of the shoes It, thus obviating any tendency of the clutchring R2 to be urged away from the clutch member D', which would result were the shoe R3 provided with a co1itinuously-inelined surface. When the clutch is in its withdrawn position, as shown in Fig. 3, the rolls L bear upon the short cylindrical collar or lip C3 at the end of cone (l In disengaging the clutch members the handle or lever ii is thrown back sufliciently to move the groove C out of enga rement with the rollers L at the ends of theevers, whereupon the springs Il operate to throw the clutch-ring R into normal inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 3. A suitable relation between the fulcrum, power, and load of the levers is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be obvious, however, that by moving the fulcrums of the levers near the outer endsthat is, nearer the loadha clutch of very great power ma be provided. Springs Q may be provide secured at one end to the ring R and at the other end to the levers L by or posts, as shown, or in any convenient manner. The springs Q tend to pull the levers toward their inoperative position and assist in releasin or disengaginfr the clutch members when t e rollers L ave been dislodged from the groove C.

I claim* l. In a clutch, the combination of a pair of relatively movable clutch members one of which is provided with inclined bearings, and means to engage said clutch members comprising a movable wedge, levers bearin at one end on said wedge tangentially, an( at said inclined bearings and means to move the wedge.

2. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch-rings one of which is provided with inclined bearings, and means to engage the rings, comprising a movable cono mounted to slide parallel to the axis oll the rings, a frame, levers pivoted to the frame, sliding connections between the frame and one of the clutch-rings, said levers bearing at one end tangentially on said movable cone, and at the other end upon sai d inclined bearings, and means to move the cone.

3. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch-rings one of which is provided with inclined bearings, and means to engage the ril'igs, comprising a movable cone mounted to slide parallel to the axis of the rings, a frame, levers pivoted te the frame, sliding connections and releasingsprings between said trame and one of the clutch-rings, said levers bearing at one end tangentially on said movable cone, and at the other end upon said inclined bearings, and means to move the cone.

4. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch-rings, a shaft to which. one of the clutch-rings is secured, a sleeve on said shaft, a frame secured to the sleeve, a cone mounted to slide on the sleeve, levers pivoted to the frame, sliding connections between the frame and one of the clutch-rings inclined bearings upon the sliding clutch-ring', said levers bearing at one end taneontialiy upon the cone, and at the other end` upon said inclined bearings, and means to move the cone,

5. In a clutch, a pair of' relatively movable clutch-rings, a shaft to which one of the eluteh-rings is secured, a sleeve on said shaft, a frame secured to the sleeve, a cone mounted to slide on the sleeve, levers pivoted to the frame, sliding connections and releasings rings between the frame and one of the eiiitch-rings, inclined bearings upon the sliding clutch-ring, said levers bearing at one end tangentially upon the cone, and at the other end upon said inclined bearings, and means to slide the cone.

6. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch-rings, a shaft to which one of the clutch-rings is secured, a sleeve on said shaft, a frame secured to the sleeve, a cone mounted to slide upon the sleeve, levers pivoted to the frame, a supporting-bearing on the frame to prevent the levers from being bent or sprung out of their plane of oscillation, sliding connections between the frame and one of the clutch-rings, inclined bearings upon the sliding clutch-ring, said levers bearinUr at one end tan entially upon the cone, an at the other en( upon said inclined bearings, and means to slide the cone.

7. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch members one of which is provided with inclined bearings, and means to enga e the clutch members, comprising a movabfe wedge mounted to slide parallel to the axis of the clutch members, levers bearing at one IOO IOS

IIO

end on said Wedge and at the other end upon said inclined bearings, antifriction-rollers at the ends of said levers, and means to move the wedge.

8. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch members one of which is provided with inclined bearings, and means to enga e the clutch members, comprising a movab e Wedge mounted to slide parallel to the axis of the clutch members, levers bearing at one end on said Wedge and at the other end upon said inclined bearings said inclined bearmgs having terminal dwell-surfaces upon Which the outer ends of the levers rest when the clutch is set.

9. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch members adjustable bearing-shoes u on vone of said clutch members having in* clined surfaces, and means to engage the clutch members, comprising a movable Wedge mounted to slide parallel to the axis of the clutch members, levers bearing at one end on said Wedge and at the other end upon the inclined surfaces of said bearing-shoes, and means to move the wedge.

l0. In a clutch a pair of relatively movable clutch members, bearing-shoes secured to one .of said clutch members having inclined bearing-surfaces, means to adjust the bearing-shoes comprising shiftable base-blocl s inter oscd between the bearing-shoes and the cli'ltch member, and means to envage the clutch members comprising a movabie wedge mounted to slide parallel to the axis of the clutch members and levers bearing at one end on said Wedge and at the other end on said bearing-shoes.

11. In a clutch, the combination of a pair of relatively movable clutch-rings one of which is provided with inclined bearings, and means to enga e said rings comprising a movable Wedge, a ever-sup ort, levers mounted thereon to swing in a p ane perpendicular to the clutch-axis and bearing at one end upon said Wedge 'and at the other end upon said inclined earings, and means to move the Wedge.

12. In a clutch, a pair of relatively movable clutch-rings, a shaft to Which one of said rings is secured, a sleeve on said shaft, a frame secured to the sleeve, a cone mounted to slide on the sleeve, levers pivoted to the frame and swinging in a plane perpendicular to the clutch-axis, sliding connections between the frame and one of the clutch-rings, adjustable bearing-shoes secured to the sliding ring having inclined bearing-surfaces, said levers bearing at one end tangentiall)r upon the cone and at the other end upon said bearing-shoes, antifriction-rollers at the ends of said levers, and means to slide the cone.

Signed by me at Marlow, New Hampshire, this 11th day of September, 1905.

WALTER J. COCHRAN. 

